Today we’d like to introduce you to Naomi Lemus.
Hi Naomi, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was always interested in the arts. I remember the first time I was praised for my art was in 1st or 2nd grade. My painting of sunflowers made it into the early rounds of the Houston Rodeo art show. Since that moment, my mom nurtured that side of me; she bought me dollar-store paint, even a drawing desk for my birthday and would (forcefully) let me use up paper plates, cups, and foil for my sculptures.
When I got to college, I was really unsure what I wanted to do. Within my first semester, I felt like a failure and wanted to drop out. My mom encouraged me to take art classes. That following semester, I only took art classes, and that’s where I met my first mentor, Joe Clark. He was the instructor for all the art classes and eventually helped me transfer to a four-year college.
Since then, I have been on this art path, it is my passion and career.
Artist statement:
Growing up a first-generation Mexican American forcefully made me weave through multicultural environments and spaces. My work looks to comprehend generational narratives of trauma through the lense of empathy, acknowledgment, mending, and forward movement.
My search for emotional healing is both a personal and artistic practice that primarily focuses on forms of assemblage installation. These installations pull from family archives, such as handwritten letters and family photos as well as personal and borrowed memories. I work alongside family members to recreate memories that have shaped us and our perspective of loved ones.
These works draws from rasquachismo, “In its broadest sense, it is a combination of resistant and resilient attitudes devised to allow the Chicano to survive and persevere with a sense of dignity” (Mesa-Bains) and domesticana, feminist rasquachismo, to undo the wounds of patriarchy and colonization.
Artist Bio:
Born in Houston, Texas to Mexican immigrants, Naomi Lemus focuses on the history of her family, the reality, and struggles faced by immigrants. She utilizes materials like fibers, archival documents, and found material to explore and emphasize the pain, suffering, as well as achievements she has witnessed as a first-generation American. Naomi attended San Jacinto College North from 2013-2016 and received her BFA in Painting at University of Houston in 2018. She also received an MFA from the Tyler School of Art and Architecture, Philadelphia, PA in 2021 and currently teaches at San Jacinto College.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It wasn’t smooth! There were a lot of sleepless nights, all-nighters, and crying in the studio from stress of meeting deadlines.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I started off with painting, but I am currently creating assemblage pieces. I collect found objects, sometimes personal objects, and arrange them in a thoughtful manner.
I am so proud that I use my art to tell family stories. I get to work with my mom directly to create these works of art.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
I am always open to conversations about my work, and I am open to any form of support!
Image Credits
Megan Zecchin
